MoH proposes ending disciplinary actions for party members with three or more children

A newborn in the A3 Obstetrics Ward of Hà Nội Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI —  The Ministry of Health in Việt Nam is advocating for the elimination of regulations that impose disciplinary actions on Party members who have three or more children, in response to the country's historical decline in birth rates.

In 2024, the birth rate is projected to drop to 1.91 children per woman, with expectations of further decreases in the future.

Lê Thanh Dũng, the Director of the ministry’s General Department of Population, highlighted that this initiative is part of a broader review of population policies, aiming to sustain the replacement fertility rate across the nation.

The proposed adjustments are included in the draft Population Law, which seeks to address various demographic challenges such as gender imbalances at birth, adapting to an aging population, optimising population distribution, and integrating demographic factors into socio-economic planning.

The ministry is specifically proposing to abolish punitive measures for Party members who exceed the two-child norm, a regulation that has not been enforced on the general public for some time.

Factors contributing to the decline in birth rates include improved living conditions, higher education levels, and an increased emphasis on career development among women of childbearing age, leading to delayed marriage and childbirth.

Economic pressures such as rising costs of living, housing, and child-rearing expenses are also influencing younger families to delay having children, opt for fewer children, or forego parenthood altogether. — VNS